As advised in the Ministry of Municipal and Housing (MMAH)’s Code News 350, the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) is inviting the public to take part in the public review of proposed changes to the 2020 National Building Code of Canada (NBC). Unlike the established process where National Construction Codes change first and the provinces follow, this is a pilot initiative that aligns provinces that intend to adopt the proposed changes in advance of future National Code adoption.
These changes were developed by the Joint Task Group – Harmonized Variations for Mass Timber, which includes the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, as well as Codes Canada and the National Research Council. These proposed changes have been developed on an expedited basis to meet immediate provincial needs.
The proposed changes were developed to enable more flexibility in the use of Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC), including:
- use in building occupancy types beyond the residential (Group C) and business and personal services (Group D) types currently permitted under the National Model Codes;
- to allow for taller EMTC buildings, up to 18 storeys high; and
- to vary the amount of encapsulation required in EMTC buildings.
Along with the proposed changes, the Joint Task Group has provided the associated rationale for these changes. To learn more about the proposed changes, and how to provide your comments, visit the CBHCC website. The deadline to submit comments is February 16, 2024.
Note that no decisions have been made as to whether Ontario will adopt any changes based on these proposals.
To learn more about the OAA’s previous submissions to CBHCC regarding Code harmonization, click here.
This article originally appeared in the Practice Advisory—the OAA’s bimonthly e-newsletter developed by the OAA’s Practice Advisory Services team, comprising architects and other staff, which offers numerous resources for both member and the public. The OAA does not provide legal, insurance, or accounting advice. Readers are advised to consult their own such representatives to obtain suitable professional advice in those regards.